For the second time in eight months, the GOP senators left the capitol, denying the Democratic supermajority a chance to pass a bill to limit greenhouse gas emissions.
“They’re frustrated that the traditional electoral process has not really benefited them,” Priscilla Southwell, a University of Oregon political science professor, said of conservatives. “Republicans are saying, ‘We’re not just outvoted, we’re ignored.’”gave Democrats supermajorities in the state’s House and Senate, and they maintained control of the governor’s office — a sweeping victory that they said represented a popular mandate to pursue their climate agenda.
But Republicans have said the centerpiece of that policy, the cap-and-trade legislation, will increase the cost of living for rural residents, disproportionately harming their constituents. They pledged to do “Gov. Kate Brown said the resulting political fracas was “a sad moment for Oregon” and accused Republicans of taking a “taxpayer-funded vacation.
Under the cap-and-trade plan, greenhouse gas emissions would be limited and carbon-producing businesses would be required to purchase pollution credits. Over time, the state would decrease the number of credits available, thereby lowering the level of emissions allowed.Democrats have already compromised on the bill, which has been in the works for years, said Greg Dotson, a professor of environmental law at the University of Oregon.
Unlike other states, Oregon’s quorum rules are written into its constitution, making them difficult to change or work around. But the authors of the state’s founding document probably never imagined that the requirement would be put to such use, Dotson said.“Quorums were originally established because you wanted to make sure you didn’t have secret meetings of the legislature running roughshod over people,” he said.
Republicans say they’re angry that Democrats have rejected their proposed amendments, especially one that would put the issue on the November ballot and allow voters to decide its fate.“Pay attention Oregon — this is a true example of partisan politics,” Senate Republican Leader Herman Baertschiger Jr. said
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